Start small and then see what happens

I’ve realised over the past few months that I’ve got myself into a bit of a bind. With a steady stream of ‘”go large or go home” success stories coming at me via my Facebook feed, I’ve fallen into the trap of forgetting how important small is.

I’ve decided to be small.

Small is manageable, small is considered, small is carefully curated. Small means you start things.

I appreciate that some people are very good at being big, but I find big quite overwhelming. I think that (and this is rather silly, but nonetheless true) because I’m a big person with a big personality, perhaps I thought that I had to have a big life too. But living big is not the same thing as being big.

I see living big as requiring a certain ambition and recognition of achievement that I just don’t think is for me after all. All my life I craved praise from others and it has only been recently that I’ve begun to realise that it’s not recognition that motivates me, it’s helping others. That perhaps I am not a striver, but a seeker.

I don’t need to be first. I don’t need to be the best. I don’t even need to be in the running.

A small life, with time for others and time for me. It feels like a small life might be a life that cuts through the noise and simply chooses what is truly important. Achievable and satisfying, and doesn’t that sound lovely?

Every now and then I write something that compels someone to write me back to thank me for making a difference in her life. I write back immediately to say, “You’re my person today. You’re the reason I wrote what I wrote.”

How do you always get into my head and know exactly what I’m thinking, generally before I even do? It’s witchcraft!
Yes to starting Small, and No to being overwhelmed at Big. Small can grow into Big in small steps, but not if it doesn’t start in the first place.
xx

Small steps are essential for any kind of living. I’ve starting making small steps to up my self care at the moment, if I tackled it as a whole, I would be feeling far to guilty to do so, taking it step by small step makes is manageable. Small steps make for a big whole. Lovely post xx

I wish so much that you didn’t feel guilty about taking care of your own wellbeing, Nic. If I could eradicate that from every mum’s thinking than I would. Taking care of yourself is the best thing you could ever do for your family.

I’m so glad, Mim. I think it is needed by so many of us. I didn’t purposely arrive at this decision, but I did have a realisation that I have always lived small, but haven’t thought small – does that make sense? I seem to have always known that this is what I really wanted.

I think it’s that at times in your life, and these can swing about depending on the issue or the moment, you are big and ambitious and best and a striver. At other times you’re small and treading softly and mindful and seeking. I think you’re these two things – not one. I can be striving and seeking at the very same time, sometimes. Sometimes I am helping and directing. You can be big and small, loud and quiet, calm and messy, sometimes all.at.the.same.time.

Interesting read Bron! What I’ve learned in past 3+ years is how I am constantly evolving. I remember thinking over & over during that time “why dont I feel like me? Anymore.. Then again realised we are constantly changing & evolving. Sometimes a life event or change in circumstances will drive us to either change due to insight or let in happen. My cancer diagnosis was somewhat a catalyst for change but i’m not on any mission about this. What I knew was I would recover well & use my strengths that had been hiding behind fear for 3 years. That’s my current & confident status and it feels great!